News From Bangkok Post

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June 19th, 1997
Bangkok Post
Quake warning repeated

Anond Bunnag


Environmental groups yesterday asked the House Environment Committee to 
prevent the Petroleum Authority of Thailand's gas pipeline from 
endangering forests in Kanchanaburi province.

Pipop Thongchai, an activist representing the groups, told reporters 
after meeting the panel at Parliament that apart from being a potential 
threat to forests, the 260-km-long pipeline would pass two quake-prone 
zones in Darn Jedi Sarm Ong area and Si Sawat district of the province.

The 16.5-billion-baht pipeline was also prone to terrorist attacks 
because a 10-km section of the pipeline will pass through an area 
controlled by Burmese ethnic groups.

Mr Pipop affirmed the proposal for an underwater pipeline from the 
Yadana and Yetagun gas fields in Burma to the power plant in Ratchaburi 
province was a safer option as it would reduce the length of the 
pipeline by 30%.

He also called on the House panel to ensure that the contents of the 
pipeline deal between PTT and Burma were made available to the public.

August date set for bridge's official opening

3 checkpoints to be upgraded

Supamart Kasem 
Mae Sot, Tak


The Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge, linking Mae Sot district and 
Myawaddy of Burma, is to be officially opened in August to facilitate 
transport of goods and people between the two countries, it was 
confirmed yesterday.

Thai and Burmese authorities have also agreed to upgrade three temporary 
checkpoints - Mae Sot-Myawaddy, Mae Sai-Tachilek and Ranong-Kawthaung - 
to be permanent checkpoints.

The confirmation of the official opening of the bridge was made by 
Deputy Foreign Minister Pitak Intrawithayanunt and Burmese Ambassador to 
Thailand Hla Maung during an inspection trip to Mae Sot yesterday.

Mr Pitak led a 10-member delegation including Sukhum Rasamithat, deputy 
permanent secretary for foreign affairs, Kobsak Chutikul, Economic 
Affairs Department director-general, and representatives from the 
Treaties and Legal Affairs Department to inspect construction of the 
bridge and a disputed area near Wat Prathat Khok Chang Phuek, Mae Dao 
village in Tambon Tha Sai Luad.

The delegation was briefed about the border situation by the 4th 
Infantry Regiment during a joint meeting of the state and private 
sectors.

The meeting was attended by Tak Governor Pongpayom Wasaphut, 4th 
Infantry Regiment commander Maj-Gen Chalor Thongsala, the Mae Sot 
district chief, the Tak Chamber of Commerce president and 
representatives from relevant agencies.

Thailand and Burma signed an agreement on the opening of the bridge on 
May 16 during Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's official visit to 
Rangoon, said Mr Pitak, adding it was agreed that the bridge be opened 
90 days after the agreement was signed.

U Hla Maung expressed optimism that chronic border problems between the 
two countries would be tackled soon and the border situation would 
gradually improve after Burma joins Asean.

Thailand and Burma will hold a Joint Boundary Committee meeting June 
30-July 2 to jointly settle the border demarcation problem, said Mr 
Pitak.

Burma's own maverick

<Picture: [Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisith]>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisith 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Burma's unilateral decision last Thursday to close the checkpoint 
bordering Tak's Mae Sot district not only surprised the local 
authorities. Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisith also was 
reportedly upset when he heard of the move.

"The supreme commander was quite unhappy as he saw no reason for the 
closure order," said a three-star general at the Supreme Command.

Burma has still to explain its decision but local border officials blame 
the failure to settle a dispute over the dredging of the Moei River 
beside Ban Rim Moei in Mae Sot as the main reason.

Tak Chamber of Commerce chairman Paniti Tanpanit and the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee have both criticised Burma for the two-day closure, 
which has greatly affected trade. They feel Burma should learn to adapt 
to the new environment as its behaviour is totally unacceptable to a 
civilised world.

One border watcher said Lt-Col Sein Phone, the commander of Burma's 
257th battalion and chairman of the Thai-Burma Committee, was directly 
responsible for the closure and had not consulted Rangoon before issuing 
the order.

"He has full authority to close the border. He does not need to seek 
approval from the central government," said the border watcher of the 
officer widely known for his hot temper.

Lt-Col Sein Phone was summoned immediately to a meeting with Maj-Gen 
Khet Sein, the commander of Burma's southeast forces at Moul Mein.

Authorities at Mae Sot were equally surprised when they learnt Rangoon 
had issued a new order on Saturday for the re-opening of the checkpoint.

There were rumours in border areas Lt-Col Sein Phone might be 
transferred as the closure reportedly had angered senior officials in 
Rangoon worried about the repercussions.

An officer said Army Commander-in-Chief Chettha Thanajaro was watching 
developments closely and hoped things would not escalate.

"We have to understand Burma, which has a different administrative 
system from us," said the officer. "The incident was minor and we should 
not allow it to escalate as any renewed border tension will not benefit 
anyone."

The fight for the forests

The government is mulling over the draft Community Forest Bill which 
would allow human settlement in national forests if villagers can prove 
they are forest-friendly. Conservationists oppose the bill, while 
supporters see it as a crucial step toward people's participation in the 
management of natural resources

Karens from Huay Hoy and surrounding villages along the Mae Wang river 
basin in Chiang Mai province pray in the sacred "Lue Pakha" ceremony in 
which they ask the spirits to protect the forest.

Story by Karnjariya Sukrung

Photos by Somkid Chaijitvanit

Homeward-bound on a train heading North, Karen peasant Punu Dokjimu, 71, 
was deep in thought. The people of Huay Hoy, his mountain-top forest 
village in the Mae Wang river basin in Chiang Mai, were facing eviction 
by the Forestry Department.

Three months before, the old Karen had left his lush forest home to join 
some 20,000 other protesters from the Assembly of the Poor to fight for 
the indigenous people's ancestral land rights. But the Agriculture 
Minister was adamant, insisting that all hilltribe people living in 
national forests must be evicted.

His mind was probably wandering back to his forest home, a place of 
singing brooks, fragrant soil and vast liberating skies, when the old 
man jumped from the speeding train to his death.

Like conservationist Sueb Nakhasathien, who sacrificed his life to save 
wildlife in Huay Khakaeng Sanctuary, the death of Punu Dokjimu echoes 
the hilltribe people's commitment to fight, and to die for their 
ancestral homes.

"We won't let Punu die in vain," said Boon, a Karen elder at Huay Hoy 
village and a close friend of Panu. "We will fight to the death to keep 
our ancestral home. No government can take it away from us."

What drove Punu Dokjimu to commit suicide was the Forestry Department's 
plan to expand national park areas which intrude into old communities of 
the indigenous hill people.

Forestry officials, however, insist that the hilltribe people who are 
living in ecologically sensitive rain-catchment mountains - including 
the Huay Hoy Karens - must move out.

Shortly after Punu's death, the government agreed to revive the 
on-and-off negotiations on community forests which would allow 
environmental-friendly communities to stay.

In memory of Punu and in gratitude for their ancestors' wisdom which has 
kept the forest intact for generations, the Karens of Huay Hoy joined 
forces with the other hilltribe villages of the Mae Wang river basin 
last week to hold a sacred ceremony to protect the forest.

"Lue Pakha" is their traditional ritual performed before each farming 
season to ask the spirits to protect the forests and to curse those who 
destroy them.

The hilltribe people's beliefs in animism - that guardian spirits exist 
in all natural things - have limited their use of nature to subsistence 
level, thus keeping their ecosystems largely intact.

"Spirits exist," said Boon with a serious look, while other villagers 
nod in agreement.

"Just a few days ago, a man tried to shoot an animal with an arrow in 
the forest. For no reason, he fell from the tree and died instantly," he 
said with awe.

In the wake of eviction threats, the hilltribe people of Mae Wang have 
expanded the ceremony from separate village events into a combined 
community action.

The Lue Pakha ceremony at Mae Wang is part of the ongoing, grassroots 
activities among highlanders to prove that their customs, unity and 
commitment are crucial for the forests' survival.

Huay Hoy and other Mae Wang villages belong to the Northern Farmers' 
Network which is fighting for the same cause. One of their biggest 
activities last year was the ordination of 50 million trees in over 
235,000 rai of watershed forests to celebrate His Majesty the King's 
Golden Jubilee.

Tree ordination is a contemporary ceremonial innovation for 
environmental protection purposes. It is believed that the sin of 
cutting down an ordained trees is equivalent to killing a monk.

"Fighting alone is lonely and ineffective. We must build up a network so 
that villages in the same river basin can work together in our 
conservation efforts. Unity also increases bargaining power in our 
struggles for our ancestral land rights," said Karen elder Joni, 
president of the network.

Over the years, the network members have tried to prove that the 
coexistence of humans and nature is possible through community 
commitment and indigenous knowledge of sustainable use of forest 
resources.

"The life of Karens is closely linked to nature. Our traditions, beliefs 
and tales all reflect our respect for nature," said Karen-born Prasert 
Trakansuphakon, officer of IMPECT, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) 
which assists the hilltribe communities' environmental protection 
efforts.

"By reviving our folk wisdom and practices that enhance forest 
conservation, the hill communities won't have to be uprooted and the 
forest can thrive."

The Karens' respect for nature is evident in their farming-related 
ceremonies year round to pay homage to the spirits of fire, water, soil, 
mountain, trees and ancestors to protect their crops and to bless them.

The Karens' legends, which are often told at bedtime to children, are 
rich in stories concerning nature and wildlife with a stress on the 
necessity for humans and nature to live in harmony.

According to the Karens' customs, newly-wed couples are prohibited from 
shooting birds and the husbands of pregnant women cannot hunt animals or 
cut down trees. It is believed that such acts may harm the babies. Many 
trees and animals in their folktales cannot be harmed either for fear of 
bad luck.

"These tales and ceremonies are passed down from one generation to 
another, thus helping preserve the forest and wild animals for hundreds 
of years," said Prasert.

While traditional ceremonies keep the belief in spirits alive, the old 
tales plant the seeds of love for nature and popular sayings outline 
proper relationships with nature.

"Drink from the water, protect the water. Eat from the forest, protect 
the forest" is a well-known Karen proverb.

With assistance from local NGOs, the hill people have formalise their 
village committees to manage their community forests. The committee sets 
rules on conservation and sustainable use of forest resources as well as 
punitive measures for violaters.

Following in their ancestors' footsteps, the Karens divide their land 
use into three main categories: sacred, untouchable forests; usable 
forests; and habitat, which includes farm land. The sacred areas are 
rain-catchment forests which usually occupy a much larger area than 
usable forests and farmlands.

The mountaintop rain-catchment forests are believed to be the homes of 
ferocious spirits, and thus, are best left alone. The Karens' other 
sacred forests include cemetery forest and "sadue" woods where they hang 
the umbilical cords of newborn babies and where the trees are prohibited 
from being felled.

"My parents told me not to cut or destroy trees in the sacred areas. And 
I believe them because I'm afraid of spirits. Anyone who breaks this 
rule will be doomed to illness and death," said Chantib, 32.

Hunting is also a no-no in sacred forests. Only mushroom and herb 
collecting are allowed.

Usable forests give them firewood, timber and food. Yet, access to these 
forests is limited. Villagers must ask for permission from the village 
committee to cut trees, for example. At Huay Hoy, there is a strict rule 
that for one tree felled, ten more must be planted as compensation.

It is the Karen farmlands, however, that have been picked out by those 
opposing the Community Forest Bill draft to show that the hilltribes 
people are destroying the forest.

Many hill people concede that by adopting the cash crop plantation 
method promoted by the government, they have cleared a lot of forest 
land. But they were quickly disillusioned. Prices for their crops are 
too low, the land has become poor, and the wildlife has begun to 
disappear following the use of chemical pesticides.

Realising the mistakes of the new methods, many Karens have return to 
the traditional farming system.

"We were once lost, but now we're back. We know better now that what our 
ancestors did is important for our own survival," said Pachi, one of the 
Huay Hoy committee members.

Using an age-old farm rotation system, each Karen family keeps several 
small plots of land on which they plant different crops in turn. By 
waiting for the land to regenerate by itself before a new round of 
planting, the Karen farmers do not have to use any chemicals.

"Our ancestors knew that planting the same crop in the same area for too 
long destroys the soil fertility for good," stressed Pachi.

"By farm rotation, we give the soil a break to get ready for a new cycle 
of farming. In the meantime, we let small trees grow there which helps 
regenerate the soil."

By rotating crops, the Karens do not have to clear new land. The sacred 
watershed forests are thus protected.

Another duty of the community forest committee is to protect the forests 
from fire by setting up fire-fighting squads among the villagers.

According to Waiying, a Huay Hoy villager who works with IMPECT, forest 
fires occur every year, mostly in the dry season. Some fires are 
natural, but others are caused by humans.

"Since we asked people to make fire breaks circling the community and 
have everybody watching out for a fire, the threat has been greatly 
reduced," he said.

After several years of intense conservation efforts, Huay Hoy reports 
less illegal loggers and fewer forest fires. Greenery has replaced 
once-barren lands. More wildlife has been spotted in the forests, and 
erratic rainfall is stabilising.

"Our life is inseparable from nature from birth to death. When we were 
born, we had a tree as our guardian spirit. While we live, we take from 
nature to live. And when we die, our spirits go back to Mother Nature," 
said Karen elder Boon.

"How can we destroy the source of our life?" he asked, his eyes lifting 
upward toward the sacred mountaintop forest which they must guard not 
only from illegal loggers, but also from the government.



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."



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